Clair Amos <clairam...@hotmail.co.uk>: Mar
27 09:57AM
Hi
Hannah I'm based in wyre forest (kidderninster) and
know of some nest sites in houses near me. They are
natural nest sites please contact me if I can help
clair swift friends wyre forest
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From: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
<swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: 27 March 2026 06:58
To: Digest recipients
<swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [SLN] Digest for
swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 3
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* swifts in and around Birmingham / west midlands -
1 Update
* Largest Swift colonies on a single building? - 1
Update
* Digest for swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com - 7
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Hannah Bourne-Taylor
<hannahbou...@gmail.com>: Mar 26 04:20PM
Hi everyone,
If you know of swift colonies or even houses with
swifts in and around
Birmingham or the West Midlands, could you let me
know? I am working on a
swift project and I need to find a swift place in
that area.
Very best, Hannah
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Nick Bentham-Green
<nickbent...@hotmail.com>: Mar 26 12:15PM
Graham,
There is a significant swift roost site (circa 40 +
nests) on the eastern side of Plymouth Sound. It is
now called Bovisand Wall, and is a huge piece of
stonework about 100m long and about 30m tall. In its
former life it was the 'stop-butts' for a Royal
Marines rifle range. It used to be an MOD site, but
I'm not sure if it is now.
I have attempted to id where all the nests are, with
a few others ( inc Stephen Fitt), but with approx 80
swifts hurtling around it proved challenging!
Nick
SE Cornwall
Sent from Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
________________________________
From: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
<swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com> on
behalf of Graham Knight <gpk...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2026 6:46:55 AM
To: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
<swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com>; Graham
Knight <gpk...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [SLN] Largest Swift colonies on a
single building?
Thank you for the various replies to this request.
It is interesting that we don't have many examples
of large "natural" nest sites, as opposed to where
boxes are provided, although the latter might be
easier to monitor. Perhaps the days of 100 or more
nests on a building are a thing of the past?
Alistair - the Segovia viaduct must be a wonderful
site to visit in summer - I won't use it as a
comparison for Bishop's Stortford however!
Best wishes
Graham Knight
Sawbridgeworth Swifts
Facebook - Sawbridgeworth Swifts<https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552550656671>
On Wed, 25 Mar 2026 at 10:11, Alistair
<alis...@alofanglia.plus.com<mailto:alistair<mailto:alistair>@alofanglia.plus.com>>
wrote:
Do foreign countries count too? I think about 2000
pairs in the roman aqueduct in Segovia, 80km NW of
Madrid https://www.turismodesegovia.com/en/acueducto/historia-del-acueducto
[cid:ii_19d28e084b18ad5fb8f1]
[cid:ii_19d28e084b2617954832]
[cid:ii_19d28e084b2533487593]
[cid:ii_19d28e084b266553f434]
On 25 Mar 2026, at 09:48, 'Tanya Hoare' via
swiftslocalnetwork
<swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork>@googlegroups.com>>
wrote:
hi graham
I don't know if this 'counts' as a large colony in a
single building, but we have 35 pairs breeding in
our own cottage in Cumbria. Over a third are in
natural nests in the eaves, the rest are in
Cambridge system bricks or S bricks and 4 pairs in
boxes.
regards
Tanya & Edmund
ta.h...@btinternet.com<mailto:ta.hoare<mailto:ta.hoare>@btinternet.com>
(1) Sedbergh Community Swifts | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/Sedbergh-Community-Swifts-105860945339945>
From: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork>@googlegroups.com>
<swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork>@googlegroups.com>>
On Behalf Of Dick Newell
Sent: 22 March 2026 14:04
To: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork<mailto:swiftslocalnetwork>@googlegroups.com>
Cc: Graham Knight <gpk...@gmail.com<mailto:gpk593<mailto:gpk593>@gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [SLN] Largest Swift colonies on a
single building?
Hi Graham,
The last time we checked, St Mary's Ely had 58 pairs
in 96 nest boxes.
I think St John's Bury St Edmunds has a similar
number in 60 nest boxes.
My own church, All Saints' Landbeach has 22 pairs in
60 nest boxes
At one point, St Mary's St Neot's had 48 pairs in 60
nest boxes - down to 4 pairs last year thanks to a
Kestrel.
I don't know of any large single building colones
near here.
Dick
On Sun, 22 Mar 2026 at 13:52, Graham Knight
<gpk...@gmail.com<mailto:gpk593<mailto:gpk593>@gmail.com>>
wrote:
Dear all
I am looking for examples of the largest Swift
colonies on a single building. I am aware of the
Oxford NHM tower (53 breeding attempts in 2025) but
am interested in other similar or larger colonies
In East Hertfordshire, we have been surveying the
wonderful Swift colony at Redwood Court in Bishop's
Stortford, where the Swifts nest in the many slots
in the brickwork under the eaves - photos attached.
This is an old Victorian Hospital building which was
converted to flats in the 1990's. The Swifts have
probably nested here for many years, but it was only
"discovered" as a significant colony in 2023.
Since then, Gavin Vicary (NE Herts Swift Group) and
I have carried out a great deal of survey work to
establish the size of the colony. In 2025 we
observed Swifts using 47 of the slots, and in the
last 3 summers, we have seen them using a total of
70 different slots.
It is not the easiest building to survey, but we
think it has 60-70 nesting pairs.
Unfortunately the management company wants to carry
out redecorating works this summer. We are trying
our best to engage with them and try to defer any
scaffolding until the Swifts have gone.
Any details of other large single-building colonies
would help us to put the importance of the site into
context
Best wishes
Graham Knight
Sawbridgeworth Swifts
Facebook - Sawbridgeworth Swifts<https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552550656671>
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Cherry Hubbard
<cirenceste...@gmail.com>: Mar 26
08:46AM
Thank you Alistair from Devon Wildlife Trust really
comprehensive and useful webinar on funding
opportunities- inspiring!
Cherry
Cirencester Swift Group
Sent from my iPad
On 26 Mar 2026, at 06:58,
swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com wrote:
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Largest Swift colonies on a single building? - 4
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Update
Largest Swift colonies on a single building?
Tanya Hoare <ta.h...@btinternet.com>: Mar 25
09:48AM
hi graham
I don't know if this 'counts' as a large colony in a
single building, but we
have 35 pairs breeding in our own cottage in
Cumbria. Over a third are in
natural nests in the eaves, the rest are in
Cambridge system bricks or S
bricks and 4 pairs in boxes.
regards
Tanya & Edmund
ta.h...@btinternet.com
<https://www.facebook.com/Sedbergh-Community-Swifts-105860945339945>
(1)
Sedbergh Community Swifts | Facebook
From: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
<swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com> On
Behalf Of Dick Newell
Sent: 22 March 2026 14:04
To: swiftsloc...@googlegroups.com
Cc: Graham Knight <gpk...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [SLN] Largest Swift colonies on a
single building?
Hi Graham,
The last time we checked, St Mary's Ely had 58 pairs
in 96 nest boxes.
I think St John's Bury St Edmunds has a similar
number in 60 nest boxes.
My own church, All Saints' Landbeach has 22 pairs in
60 nest boxes
At one point, St Mary's St Neot's had 48 pairs in 60
nest boxes - down to 4
pairs last year thanks to a Kestrel.
I don't know of any large single building colones
near here.
Dick
On Sun, 22 Mar 2026 at 13:52, Graham Knight
<gpk...@gmail.com
<mailto:gpk593<mailto:gpk593>@gmail.com>
> wrote:
Dear all
I am looking for examples of the largest Swift
colonies on a single
building. I am aware of the Oxford NHM tower (53
breeding attempts in 2025)
but am interested in other similar or larger
colonies
In East Hertfordshire, we have been surveying the
wonderful Swift colony at
Redwood Court in Bishop's Stortford, where the
Swifts nest in the many slots
in the brickwork under the eaves - photos attached.
This is an old Victorian
Hospital building which was converted to flats in
the 1990's. The Swifts
have probably nested here for many years, but it was
only "discovered" as a
significant colony in 2023.
Since then, Gavin Vicary (NE Herts Swift Group) and
I have carried out a
great deal of survey work to establish the size of
the colony. In 2025 we
observed Swifts using 47 of the slots, and in the
last 3 summers, we have
seen them using a total of 70 different slots.
It is not the easiest building to survey, but we
think it has 60-70 nesting
pairs.
Unfortunately the management company wants to carry
out redecorating works
this summer. We are trying our best to engage with
them and try to defer any
scaffolding until the Swifts have gone.
Any details of other large single-building colonies
would help us to put the
importance of the site into context
Best wishes
Graham Knight
Sawbridgeworth Swifts
Facebook - Sawbridgeworth Swifts
<https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552550656671>
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Tony Croft <the.cro...@gmail.com>: Mar 25
09:56AM
Sadly we've had 7 empty boxes for 2 years now....our
last fledglings left 3
years ago and no returns....☹️
End of last season we had 2 pairs visit at the end
of the season (attracted
by the caller we have installed we think ) so
fingers crossed for this year.
We've had swifts with an expanded colony for over
40yrs.. We do miss them.
Best Regards
Tony & Anne
On Wed, 25 Mar 2026, 09:48 |